Mr. Caterpillar

.3.

"Keep quiet," the woman whispered, opening the door to reveal a pitch dark room, "they don't like noise."

She stepped across the threshold and groped the air before her. The woman found the thing she was looking for and gave a gentle tug. There was a click and the fluorescent tubes overhead went on, casting a silver glow.

There were cages; lots and lots of cages.

Niti went over to a cage, knelt down, stared at the surface filled with flamboyant, hairy, bloated caterpillars; hundreds of them.

"You'll find the leaves and fruits in those tubs," the woman was telling Shruti and Vicky. There is a chart right there on the table. Feed the caterpillars according to the chart."

They looked around for a few minutes.

"Okay," the woman said, again giving her hands that trademark nursery teacher's clap. "Now I'll show you the kitchen."

"Kitchen?" Shruti asked, following her out the room.

"Yes," the woman said, leading them out of the room.

Soon they were back in the drawing room. "But why do want us to see the kitchen?" Vicky asked, "Does mister Mathews eats food after midnight?"

"Yes, he eats food around two, but his food does not come from this kitchen," the woman said and smiled darkly at them.

They entered a restaurant size kitchen which had long rows of steel counters and stoves.

"Then why are you showing us the kitchen?" Niti asked, staring at the kitchen that seemed as clean as a hospital's emergency room. Not clean but more than that. Sterile, she thought.

"For you," the woman said, "you people must be hungry."

"I'm not," Shruti said.

"Neither me," Vicky said.

"Me too," Niti muttered.

The woman gave them a quick appraising look. "You'll have to eat from this three plates exactly after one hour. O--"

"Didn't I tell you," Shruti said defiantly, "that I don't want to eat anything."

"You'll have to eat," the woman snapped, "that too from these three plates."

"But what if we don't want to?" This was Niti. "If you'll not eat, you'll not get the money. It's part of your contract."

They exchanged looks.

"And don't think that you can fool me," the woman said, "there is a camera right over there--" she pointed at a corner-- "and it sees everything."